At one point in history, the United States had upwards of 14,000 wooden covered bridges. Most of them were built between 1825 and 1875 to cross a stream or river and were intended to withstand the elements. An uncovered wooden bridge may have a life span of only about 20 years while a covered bridge could stand for more than 100. Even still, they don"t fare well without upkeep and restoration costs can be high. That"s why iron replaced wood as the preferred bridge-building material in the mid-1800s. These days, fewer than 900 of the original wooden covered bridges are believed to still be standing. The A. M. Foster Bridge, seen in today"s photo, can be found in Cabot, Vermont.
A. M. Foster Bridge in Cabot, Vermont
Today in History
More Desktop Wallpapers:
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Antarctica Day
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World Water Day
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Whatever floats your boat
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Happy Thanksgiving!
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Back on the rise
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Composite of photographs from the Apollo 15 mission
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Polar bears
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Bournemouth beach huts
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A midsummer twilight s dream
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A gorge-ous mill in the Causses
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Kirkjufell, Iceland
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World Donkey Day
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Arbor Day
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An aviation celebration
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Instant romance
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Daylight saving time begins
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Tigh Mor Trossachs on Loch Achray, Scotland
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Happy St. Patrick’s Day!
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Watson Lake in Granite Dells, Arizona
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Kendwa village, Zanzibar, Tanzania
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Celebrating Native American Heritage Month
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Brown bears, Katmai National Park and Preserve, Alaska
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World Architecture Day
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International Day of Forests
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Bellissima!
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Winter Olympics in Beijing
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Superbloom in Carrizo Plain National Monument, California
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National Audubon Society s Christmas Bird Count
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Lei Day
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A unique elephant encounter in Nantes